


Dance Lesson

by littlereyofsunlight



Series: Shared Life Experience [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Agent Carter is a BAMF, Camp Lehigh, F/M, I wanted Steve to hit Hodge too okay?, POV Steve Rogers, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 17:49:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6019429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlereyofsunlight/pseuds/littlereyofsunlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by the (rampant) speculation that Agent Carter herself taught scrappy little pre-serum Steve how to fight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dance Lesson

The work assignments were handed out after chow. All the other recruits headed to KP or some other duty, but Steve had been summoned to the small workshop away from the barracks and dining hall, behind what he knew to be Dr. Erskine’s lab. 

“Hello? Private Rogers, reporting for…” Steve’s eyes went wide and he trailed off as he stepped fully into the room. Agent Carter stood before him. The tables and chairs had been pushed to the perimeter of the room and what appeared to be some sort of dummy was positioned behind her. Carter herself stood before him in olive drab slacks and a plain white undershirt, the sleeves rolled to her shoulders. She wore the same style boots that he’d been issued upon arrival that morning. Most striking, her lovely curls were pinned out of sight under a red kerchief, a style his mother had donned whenever it was time to do the wash.

“First lesson, Private,” her dulcet English voice rang out, “is that gaping in such a fashion catches nought but flies.”

“I, uh, I’m not sure wuh, ah, what th-this is…” Steve stammered, turning his side cap over in his hands and shifting his weight between his feet.

“No need for conversation, Rogers. It has not gone unnoticed that you are a likely target for some of the other candidates, and as we will be here for a full two weeks, I have been tasked with furthering your education.”

Steve couldn’t help it, he gaped at her. “My education, ma’am?”

“It has been suggested that you could benefit from some additional hand to hand combat training. I happen to have some expertise in that area. It may well come in handy before we are able to proceed with the next step of this project.”

Steve nodded and licked his lips nervously, waiting for further instruction. Agent Carter regarded him for a moment, then, apparently coming to some conclusion with herself, gave a sharp nod and motioned him forward. 

Steve stepped into the middle of the room. His mouth was dry and his palms were sweaty. He hadn’t fully caught the Agent’s meaning, but he knew she meant to help him somehow. And frankly, if it meant being in a room with her, while others were cleaning latrines and scrubbing dinner plates, he felt he must have gotten the better deal.

She began to walk in a slow circle around him. “I understand you have some experience with street fighting, but I have picked up a few things that should be of use to you that you’ve likely not learnt on your own, even if you were taught to fight by a larger man. Oftentimes, during training, I was smaller and weaker than my opponent.”

Steve ducked his head but nodded again, wishing not for the first time that his physique matched his attitude.

Agent Carter stopped in front of him and tugged his chin up so that she could lock eyes with him. Her hand was smooth and she smelled faintly of roses. He swallowed thickly. “It’s something I was trained to use to my advantage, Private. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’ll teach you how to make it an asset.” Her tone was stern but her eyes were kind, and Steve felt his heart leap into his throat. Dumbly, he nodded again. She took her hand off his face and stepped back. His skin tingled from her touch. Agent Carter cleared her throat, turning away from him toward the lumpen dummy propped against a chair.

“There are a few simple rules to remember: surprise is your friend, and gravity is not theirs.” She threw him a smirk over her shoulder and his fingers itched for a pencil and paper to capture that particularly compelling expression. 

Then Agent Carter proceeded to teach Steve Rogers how to fight dirty on his first day at Camp Lehigh. 

The next morning in the showers, after Private Hodge had tried to corner him and Steve had beaned him in the eye with a bar of soap and flipped him ass over teakettle onto the cold tile floor, Steve resolved to thank the good Agent, and maybe even have a full conversation with her.

**Author's Note:**

> I know in MCU canon Steve only spends a week at Camp Lehigh, but I fudged that a bit for the purposes of this fic (and several other headcanons that may develop into fics at some point.)
> 
> My favorite post on the subject of Peggy teaching skinny Steve how to fight is [ this one](http://airagorncharda.tumblr.com/post/113138274451/thefrogpresidentisnude-themarvelsofcomics-tell) and it absolutely influenced this fic. Many thanks to the Steggy/Agent Carter/Captain America fandom on tumblr.


End file.
